Infrastructure plays a crucial role in any country’s economic development. It encompasses the building blocks on which the country develops and grows. For a country as vast and diverse as India, it is crucial to have a network of roads, railways, ports, airports, and utilities that serve as the foundation for sustainable growth. Beyond mere physical connectivity, robust infrastructure facilitates efficient transportation of goods and people, reduces logistical costs, and creates an environment conducive to commerce and industry.
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India is currently on its way of becoming the third largest economy and therefore, it is crucial it focuses on strengthening its infrastructure. Keeping in line with its ambitions, India launched the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ which is one of India’s largest highways construction projects.
This initiative, led by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), underscores a strategic emphasis on economic corridors that traverse the entirety of the country.
While the economic corridors are seeing rapid progress in various states in India, in this article we will be looking at the progress in West Bengal.
Economic corridors in West Bengal
In a recent update on X, formerly Twitter, the government revealed that West Bengal has seen the completion of National Highway (NH) projects covering a distance of 615 kilometers, with a cumulative capital expenditure of Rs 9,461 crore, since April 2021.
Additionally, National Highway (NH) projects spanning a length of 580 kilometers are in the process of implementation, with a combined cost amounting to Rs 18,157 crore. Furthermore, there are plans to award projects covering a total length of 1,613 kilometers, with an overall capital cost of Rs 46,367 crore, by the financial year 2024-25.
The Kolkata-Siliguri Corridor witnessed the construction of 279 kilometers before the initiation of the Bharatmala Pariyojana. At present, there is an ongoing four-lane widening project covering 123 kilometers, incurring a cost of Rs 4,663 crore, with anticipated completion by the fiscal year 2024-25.
The government also said that more economic corridors are being planned to enhance road infrastructure. In West Bengal, a project covering 675 kilometers of highways with an estimated cost of $25,000 crore has been planned, including the upgradation of the existing Kolkata-Siliguri road.
